Cultural & Academic Films

This library of academic and cultural films features collections from the Academic Film Archive and the Media Burn Independent Film Archive, as well as a selection of documentaries created by Dorothy Fadiman. In addition, films from the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology are presented including those by Watson Kintner who used film to document his world travels, and the popular television show from the 1950s: “What in the World?”

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This film shows various cases of mothers who have difficulty breast feeding their babies. Solutions to the problems are demonstrated, for instance a case of inverted nipples can be treated successfully with massage and the use of a breast pump. An inadequate milk supply can be supplemented with formula. 'Flabby breasts' can be successfully treated with massage, supplementary feeding and exercise. 2 segments.favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 3 reviews ) Topics: Anatomy, Breast Feeding, Maternal Behavior, Mothers, Maternal and child health, Anatomy, Breast...

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This film examines the process of holography, types of holograms, and the uses of the hologram for artistic and scientific purposes, as demonstrated by Tung H. Jeong, PhD, Lake Forest College. About the film, director Tom Smith writes: "Nobel Prize winner Dennis Gabor, holography’s inventor, saw the film after it was made and said it was the best film on the subject that he had seen. It is such a visual subject it made for a good film. I knew the 3-D quality could only be appreciated if...favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 2 reviews ) Topics: Physics., Photography., Light.

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This PSSC film utilizes a fascinating set consisting of a rotating table and furniture occupying surprisingly unpredictable spots within the viewing area. The fine cinematography by Abraham Morochnik, and funny narration by University of Toronto professors Donald Ivey and Patterson Hume is a wonderful example of the fun a creative team of filmmakers can have with a subject that other, less imaginative types might find pedestrian.favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 7 reviews ) Topics: physics, science, PSSC

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Sponsored by the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, Bill Deneen traveled three days by bullock cart to the remote Keng Tung Leprosy Colony (today called Naung Kan) run by Father Cesare Columbo in Kengtung (Kyiang Tong), Burma. Intended to be used for fundraising, the film is a fascinating documentary about a humanitarian effort that would soon be terminated by the Burmese government. Shortly after the film was made, Columbo was deported, never to return. He is still fondly remembered by...favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 3 reviews ) Topics: Burma, Myanmar, leprosy, Hansen's Disease, Cesare Colombo

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Shows how a typical labour should be managed, including abdominal and vaginal examination, the second stage of labour, the patient prepared for delivery, the control of the foetal head, examination of the umbilical cord, use of the mucus cather, ligation of the cord, expulsion of the placenta and an examination for vaginal and perineal lacerations. 1 segment. Topics: Obstetrics, Parturition, Labor, Obstetric, Medical sciences, Birth, Obstetrics, Parturition, Labor,...

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When Abortion Was Illegal: Untold Stories illuminates a largely undocumented era, from the end of the 19th century through the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision in 1973. This Academy Award-nominated film features compelling first person accounts, which reveal the physical, legal, and emotional consequences during the era when abortion was a criminal act. Until recently, the era of illegal abortion had been a "sealed chapter" in U.S. women's history. The aura of shame surrounding...favoritefavoritefavorite ( 47 reviews ) Topics: Dorothy Fadiman, Academy Award, Oscar, Concentric Media, reproductive rights, women, women's...

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Johnson is another "lost" filmmaker, who worked out of Coronado, California. This film boasts beautiful color footage of old Baja, before Pemex stations lined the Cuota and Libre. Hunt travels from Ensenada to Cabo San Lucas, enchantingly stopping at the waterless village of Magdalena Bay, Tortuga Bay, and the vineyards at Santo Tomás.favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 5 reviews ) Topics: Santa Tomas, Magdalena, Tortuga, Baja, Cabo San Lucas, Ensenada

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Far more than a travelogue with pretty pictures, this little-known film won six international awards shortly after its release. 'Iran' consists of spectacular geographical and archaeological footage interspersed with "slice of life" shots, evidencing best juxtapositional editing we've ever seen. This is a buried masterpiece from the director of 'A Man and a Woman,' 'Happy New Year,' and 'And Now My Love.' Lelouch reportedly shot six miles of footage to make this film, which apparently...favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 2 reviews ) Topic: Persia, Petroleum, Qashqai, nomad, Islam, mosque

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Ever wonder how Matt Groening of 'The Simpsons' got his quirky sense of humor? Probably from his filmmaker dad, Homer Groening, who passed away in 1996. Although known for his documentaries, Homer Groening directed and narrated this film, ostensibly about color, but filled with an ongoing series of bikini-clad bathing beauties. The film is perhaps best viewed as a graphic artifact that will interest media historians seeking additional insight into the elements that influenced the cartoonist.favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 2 reviews )

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This outrageous parody of the prototype 'commercial' family was apparently made as an in-house joke by one of the largest producers of television commercials. Their clients would have never seen this gem, which parodies products as well as the people that buy them.favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 15 reviews ) Topics: parody, advertisement, asian

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During the last two weeks of January 1975 Buckminster Fuller gave an extraordinary series of lectures concerning his entire life's work. These thinking out loud lectures span 42 hours and examine in depth all of Fuller's major inventions and discoveries from the 1927 Dymaxion house, car and bathroom, through the Wichita House, geodesic domes, and tensegrity structures, as well as the contents of Synergetics. Autobiographical in parts, Fuller recounts his own personal history in the context of... Topics: Buckminster Fuller, Dymaxion house, Wichita House, geodesic domes, tensegrity structures,...

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'Journey to the Center of a Triangle' (1976) 8m, dir. Bruce & Katharine Cornwell. Another fabulous film by the Cornwells, created on the Tektronics 4051 Graphics Terminal. Presents a series of animated constructions that determine the center of a variety of triangles, including such centers as circumcenter, incenter, centroid and orthocenter. The music is Bach's preludes 8 (Eb minor) and 12 (F minor) from the Well Tempered Clavier. More on the Cornwells at http://www.afana.org/cornwell.htm...favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 7 reviews ) Topics: mathematics, science

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Bruce and Katharine Cornwell are primarily known for a series of remarkable animated films on the subject of geometry. Created on the Tektronics 4051 Graphics Terminal, they are brilliant short films, tracing Klee-like geometric shapes to intriguing music, including the memorable 'Bach meets Third Steam Jazz' musical score in ‘Congruent Triangles.’ In this melding of art and science, the Cornwells create a quasi-hypnotic take on a mathematical construct. More on the Cornwells at...favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 4 reviews ) Topic: mathematics, science

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A parable about the consequences of being a bystander to evil, from a disturbing poem by Maurice Ogden, read by Herschel Bernardi. Shadows and shifting geometric planes lend a Chirico-like quality to Julian's animation. Great musical score by Serge Hovey. About the film, Steve Goldman writes: "Les Goldman was my father. Creating this film was one of the most important accomplishments of his life. He was inspired to make this film after hearing the poem 'Hangman' read on Pacifica Radio in...favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 5 reviews ) Topics: animation, death, horror

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This film in two parts shows the mechanism of an artifical respirator (an iron lung) a female patient is shown being placed in the machine and then cared for by nurses (she is fed, groomed and given an enema). The second part starts with instructions as to what to do if there are electrical or mechanical faults in the machinery. 3 segments. Topics: Ventilators, Mechanical -- history, Respiration, Artificial, Medical equipment, Respiratory...

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Tom Smith headed up the Special Effects team at Industrial Light & Magic, where he created all the goodies for the 'Star Wars' films. This is his academic film masterwork, which took over a year to create, over 13 weeks to film, and utilized "traveling mattes," with as many as five separate films running in the background, showcasing wonderful models and graphics. About the making of the film, Tom Smith writes: "I made that film in 1976 with Richard Basehart as narrator and a...favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 2 reviews ) Topics: space, universe, Industrial Light and Magic, ILM

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Alienation, angst, and schizophrenia are powerful themes addressed by Kearney in this forgotten masterpiece. From a story by Conrad Aiken.favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 16 reviews ) Topics: schizophrenia, teen angst

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WOMAN BY WOMAN documents progressive change for women in some of the least developed villages of India. Vivid images portray the humanity of the people, the beauty of the countryside, as well as the toll of centuries of poverty. We meet courageous women who are coming out of seclusion in order to serve in their communities by teaching other women about family planning resources. We also meet family members who support these efforts - a village husband who works side-by-side with his wife, in a...favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 2 reviews ) Topics: Dorothy Fadiman, Academy Award, Concentric Media, reproductive rights, women, women's rights,...

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All rights are reserved by the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (Penn Museum). Any use of the footage in productions is forbidden unless rights have been secured by contacting the Penn Museum Archives at 215-898-8304, or email photos@pennmuseum.org. This film and all of the films in the Penn Museum collection are copyrighted by the Penn Museum, and are not in the public domain. Topics: Peru, Cuzco, Sacsayhuamán, Incan antiquities, Inca ruins

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This award-winning film features nine unique schools, both public and private, California to East Harlem. In these unique schools relationship, creative thinking, and direct experience are valued above memorization of facts. As we struggle with issues of how to provide a quality education for all children, we might look to these successful schools where teachers, students, parents and administrators are involved in creating supportive educational environments. All public, educational, and...favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 4 reviews ) Topics: Dorothy Fadiman, Tom Peters, PBS, KTEH, school, education, private school, public school, Peninsula...

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Baccalaureate address to the Middlebury College Class of 2001, delivered by Fred Rogers. This video is part of the Middlebury College Commencement Archive. Topics: Baccalaureate addresses, Personal growth, Empathy

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This a clip from a televised interview with Timothy Leary at home. Leary discusses emerging technology, the Sixties and the youth culture of the 1990s. Topics: emerging technologies, The Sixties, The internet, youth culture, 1990s

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All rights are reserved by the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (Penn Museum). Any use of the footage in productions is forbidden unless rights have been secured by contacting the Penn Museum Archives at 215-898-8304, or email photos@pennmuseum.org. Topics: Curaçao, Caribbean Sea, Willemstad, La Guayra, Caracas, Tourism, Ocean travel

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All rights are reserved by the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (Penn Museum). Any use of the footage in productions is forbidden unless rights have been secured by contacting the Penn Museum Archives at 215-898-8304 , or email photos@pennmuseum.org. This film and all of the films in the Penn Museum collection are copyrighted by the Penn Museum, and are not in the public domain. Topics: Ecuador, Guayaquil, Riobamba, Guayas River, Marketplaces, Railroad

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In four minutes and not moving from one spot, Marcel Marceau conveys the seven ages of mankind, beginning with life emerging from the womb, through the cycles of life to the grave. Marceau believes "this pantomime reveals maybe the best of what mime can do in condensing time." For more on filmmaker John Barnes, visit http://www.afana.org/barnesbio.htmfavoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 1 reviews ) Topic: pantomime

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Here, a 25 ton block of granite being burned, drilled, and blasted from the heart of a Vermont mountain, focusing on the machinery used. Filmed at the Rock of Ages Quarry in Barre, VT. For more on filmmaker Carson Davidson, visit http://www.afana.org/davidsoncarson.htmfavoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 1 reviews ) Topics: quarry, Barre

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To say Russell makes films on biology is sort of like saying Rodin threw some clay on a table and a few minutes later came up with a figure representative of a human. 'Light Microscope' starts out didactically (Russell was a former K-12 biology teacher) in instructing the student on proper microscope technique, then goes off into the hyperspace of lighting techniques, using light and colored filters, that make otherwise difficult-to-see phenomena visible. This film, frankly, borders on...favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 3 reviews ) Topics: biology, science, volvox, hydra, amoeba

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All rights are reserved by the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (Penn Museum). Any use of the footage in productions is forbidden unless rights have been secured by contacting the Penn Museum Archives at 215-898-8304, or email photos@pennmuseum.org. This film and all of the films in the Penn Museum collection are copyrighted by the Penn Museum, and are not in the public domain. Topics: Peru, Machu Picchu, Cuzco, Incan ruins, Inca antiquities

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'Inside Magoo' (1960) 15, prod. Steve Bosustow. The nearsighted Mr. Magoo here experiences the seven danger signals of cancer and sees his doctor, even though as a Sagittarius, he feels he is not susceptible (Cancer, get it?). Notable for acted sequences with Jim Backus, producer Stephen Bosustow, and Scopitone star Joi Lansing as the nurse. Magoo goes to gets his colon scoped! Topic: Animation

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The mechanized production of Duro-Test light bulbs is filmed as a dance to the tune of the Brandenburg, as choreographed filaments, glass, and metal combine in a dynamic finale. For more on Carson Davidson, visit http://www.afana.org/davidsoncarson.htmfavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 1 reviews ) Topics: industrial, light bulb

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A documentary called Timothy Leary's Last Trip with Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters by A.J.Catoline, O.B.B.Babbs, and David Herman. Film features soundtrack including previously unreleased Grateful Dead tracks. Original footage of Leary, The Merry Pranksters and the Grateful Dead. Includes narration by author Ken Kesey. Exclusive footage of Leary’s final "Cyber Chat" with Ken Kesey on the internet.favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 8 reviews )

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Explores the theories of Karl Marx and how they evolved as the major ideology of one third of the world. The production examines the roots of Marxism and carefully discloses the contradiction between Marx's hopes and today's reality. For more on director George Kaczender, visit http://www.afana.org/kaczender.htm

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ABC show "In Concert", featuring Timothy Leary's interview with Billy Idol about the album "CyberPunk." Timothy Leary interviews Billy Idol on ABC In Concert as part of promoting Idol's Cyberpunk album. Timothy Leary and Billy Idol see "cyber" as a way for people to know significantly more about how the world works, and then later subvert oppression. Billy Idol discusses a small amount of the technology behind the Cyberpunk album. He notes about how it was... Topics: ABC In Concert, Billy Idol, The Ramones, Television, Joey Ramone, Cyberpunk

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Timothy Leary: An Interview from Folsom Prison in 1973. The 20-minute movie, "From Folsom Prison," was shot in the summer or fall of 1973. (Tim got out of prison in 1976.) Leary discusses his philosophy, drugs, prison rights, and his life on the run as well as his life in prison. (Prison footage from the 1970's; check out around 17:20 and 22:00)favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 2 reviews ) Topics: Prison, philosophy, drugs, LSD, UFOs, folsom prison, interviews

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An adaptation of the short story of the same title by Walter Van Tilburg Clark, in which four men who have survived a catastrophic war share memories of their past lives and a civilization which no longer exists. Here, a vintage recording of Debussy's Nocturne played by Walter Gieseking becomes the vehicle by which four lovers of the humanities hover together in a cold post-apocalyptic shack of sandbags to mourn weekly over lost art and loves gone by. Barnes, who must be considered among the... Topic: apocalypse

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Here, manic Princeton professor Eric Rogers hosts, continually removing and replacing his eyeglasses, ordering around lab assistants --- he forcefully breaks a glass test tube in the hands of an assistant to demonstrate the inelasticity of water --- and furiously pounds equations on a blackboard (Leacock says the scribblings must have lasted 45 minutes, in what must be one of the more necessary cuts in the history of educational film.) Rogers finally conducts an experiment with a young girl,...favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 2 reviews ) Topic: Physics

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Introducing Make: television Presenting a new national series from MAKE magazine, Twin Cities Public Television, and American Public Television. Make: is the DIY series for a new generation! It celebrates "Makers" - the inventors, artists, geeks and just plain everyday folks who mix new and old technology to create new-fangled marvels. Complete series in high definition. Topics: make, make magazine, iptv

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All rights are reserved by the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (Penn Museum). Any use of the footage in productions is forbidden unless rights have been secured by contacting the Penn Museum Archives at 215-898-8304, or email photos@pennmuseum.org. This film and all of the films in the Penn Museum collection are copyrighted by the Penn Museum, and are not in the public domain. Topics: Game shows, Archaeology, Artifacts, Artifact identification, Rainey. Froelich, Cammann, Schuyler,...

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heather, an ex-stripper turned christian minister… she is a nice interview, she is honest, fearless and opinionated. conversation includes: ely, minnesota, being shunned, porn, satan and satanism, death threats due to opinion, shanes mother ripping him off, consequence not being related to god, her personal life, divorce, being a reject and how it produces compassion, doing right and wrong and purpose, a lot of christian speak, creation museum, creation science, armageddon, atheists,... Topic: A Year at the Wheel

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In the hands of another director, the inner-workings of a magnet laboratory could have caused a whole classroom to fall asleep of boredom. No so when Leacock was hired to produce this twenty-minute version of lab mayhem. Try this: six researchers in a lab at MIT in the late 1950's show-off the power of electro-magnets, and in the process, accidentally set an experiment on fire(Leacock says he did a retake without the fire, but preferred the immediacy of the fire sequence and kept it in). Or...favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 4 reviews ) Topics: magnet, degauss, physics, science, PSSC, Leacock

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This is a video of a candid meeting at Leary's home with many notable figures of the early days of LSD research. Filmed in the 1970's or early 1980's. The conversation is on LSD.favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 7 reviews ) Topic: LSD

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This is the first film in Barnes' 'Shaw vs. Shakespeare' series, considered by experts to be among the finest educational films ever made. Here is wonderful introduction to Barnes as an insightful and witty interpreter of Shakespeare on film, the opening film of the triptych focusing on George Bernard Shaw’s belief that, although Shakespeare’s play was superior to his own, the treatment of the character of Caesar was not. Shaw, as written by Barnes, prefers a Caesar whose...favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 1 reviews ) Topics: Geoge Bernard Shaw, Shaw, Shakespeare, Moffat, Kiley, Grossman

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Set In Manhattan's Central Park, this film is the poignant story of a teenage girl's encounter with a homeless old woman (movingly portrayed by distinguished actress Mildred Dunnock) who carries all her belongings around in shopping bags. This encounter eventually leads to the girl's understanding of the problems of aging and the dignity of all individuals, regardless of their place in society. Actress Mildred Dunnock, who plays the homeless woman, was a former schoolteacher who didn't begin...favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 9 reviews ) Topics: Bert Salzman, homeless, elderly

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Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how “power posing” -- standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident -- can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success. Topics: TEDTalks, TED, Talks, brain, business, psychology, self, success, TEDGlobal 2012, 2012

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This is a series of video shorts produced by Retinalogic in the 1990's featuring two public service videos of Timothy Leary: "Think for yourself" and "How to operate your brain". A public access television show called How to Operate Your Brain, hosted by Timothy Leary from 1993, with Genesis P. Orridge.favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 3 reviews ) Topics: Consciousness, psychedelics, philosophy, retinalogic, how to operate your brain

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Excerpt from documentary about the advertising business : Footage of filming a McDonald's Christmas commercial. King Moody, in Ronald McDonald costume, talks about the few perks he gets playing that part. Reinhard claims that the ads for McDonald's are subtle since they sell the product through the characters instead of convincing people to buy the product.favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 3 reviews ) Topic: TV About TV

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The late Gerald McDermott made this, his first commercial film at the age of 19, an extremely complex animation short featuring approximately 2000 animation cels presented in six minutes. The production was handled by an uncredited Harrison Engle, later noted as a documentary filmmaker. Influenced by Klee and Matisse, McDermott used silk-screen as well as traditional painting techniques in crafting ethnographic folk tale animation shorts. With films that are startling in intensity, and majestic...favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite ( 6 reviews ) Topics: Animation, Japan, folktale

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This library of academic and cultural films features collections from the Academic Film Archive and the Media Burn Independent Film Archive, as well as a selection of documentaries created by Dorothy Fadiman. In addition, films from the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology are presented including those by Watson Kintner who used film to document his world travels, and the popular television show from the 1950s: “What in the World?”